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Buddy Punch vs QuickBooks Time

The short answer

Buddy Punch Starter costs a $19 monthly base plus $4.99 per user billed annually, and it sends hours to 20 payroll and accounting systems. QuickBooks Time Premium costs $20 a month plus $10 per user, and it needs a QuickBooks Online subscription.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 9 sources, most recently checked
Starting price
$19/mo + $4.99/employee/mo (Starter plan, annual)1
Best for
Small businesses with hourly staff across several sites who need GPS and photo punch controls

Choose Buddy Punch if

  • You want the lower price: a $19 base plus $4.99 per user a month, billed annually.
  • Your payroll is not QuickBooks: Buddy Punch also sends hours to ADP, Gusto, Paychex and Paylocity.
  • You want photo, IP and kiosk checks on every punch.
  • You want no setup or termination fees.
Not scored in Time & Attendance Software11 of 25 facts verified
Starting price
$20/mo + $10/employee/mo (Time Premium plan)2
Best for
Small businesses that run payroll and invoicing in QuickBooks Online

Choose QuickBooks Time if

  • You already use QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks Time requires it.
  • You bill clients by project and want estimates against actual hours.
  • You want GPS mileage tracking and timesheet signatures on the Elite plan.
  • You want phone support from Intuit.

LeadChange Score: editorial assessment based on public information.

Scorecard

Buddy Punch wins 2QuickBooks Time wins 11 tie

Buddy Punch vs QuickBooks Time by dimension
DimensionBuddy PunchQuickBooks Time
PricingBuddy Punch Starter is a $19 base plus $4.99 per user a month billed annually; Pro is $6.99 per user. QuickBooks Time Premium is $20 plus $10 per user and Elite $40 plus $12, on top of a QuickBooks Online subscription.$19/mo + $4.99/employee/mo (Starter plan, annual)$20/mo + $10/employee/mo (Time Premium plan)
IntegrationsBuddy Punch lists 20 integrations, among them QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex and Workday. QuickBooks Time is built around QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll. 20316 documented (vendor says 20)3 documented
SecurityQuickBooks Time falls under Intuit’s company-level SOC 2 Type II report. Buddy Punch offers single sign-on through Google, Apple, Okta or OneLogin. Yes (company-level, product not named)4None verifiedSOC 2
Fit and supportBuddy Punch is built for small businesses and answers by chat and email. QuickBooks Time serves small and midsize businesses, by phone and chat. Small businesses5Small businessesSmall businesses, mid-market companies

Buddy Punch or QuickBooks Time: what matters most to you?

We match on verified product facts for this need, never on who pays us.

Key differences

Where Buddy Punch and QuickBooks Time differ (5)
AttributeBuddy PunchQuickBooks Time
Best forSmall businesses5Small businesses, mid-market companies6
Mobile appsiOS, Android, ChromeOS7iOS, Android6
Support channelsChat, email1Phone, chat2
Founded2013519848
HeadquartersAppleton, Wisconsin, US1Mountain View, California, US8
Show 5 attributes where they are the same
Where they are the same (5)
AttributeBuddy PunchQuickBooks Time
Pricing modelBase fee + per employee1Base fee + per employee2
Price transparencyPublished1Published2
Free trial12
Free plan12
Contract termMonthly1Monthly2

Price by headcount

  • Buddy Punch Starter (billed annually)$19/mo base1 + $4.99/employee/mo1
  • QuickBooks Time Premium$20/mo base2 + $10/employee/mo2
Estimated list price per month by scenario
EmployeesBuddy Punch Starter (billed annually)QuickBooks Time Premium
10$68.90/mo (lowest)$120/mo
50$268.50/mo (lowest)$520/mo
200$1,017/mo (lowest)$2,020/mo

The lowest monthly cost in each row is highlighted.

Monthly cost of each product’s entry plan with published per-employee pricing, at the annual rate where marked.

Analysis by dimension

Pricing. Buddy Punch Starter is a $19 base plus $4.99 per user a month billed annually; Pro is $6.99 per user. QuickBooks Time Premium is $20 plus $10 per user and Elite $40 plus $12, on top of a QuickBooks Online subscription.

Capabilities. Both track time on mobile apps with GPS and a kiosk.

Integrations. Buddy Punch lists 20 integrations, among them QuickBooks Online and Desktop, ADP Workforce Now, Gusto, Paychex and Workday. QuickBooks Time is built around QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll.

Security. QuickBooks Time falls under Intuit’s company-level SOC 2 Type II report. Buddy Punch offers single sign-on through Google, Apple, Okta or OneLogin.

Fit and support. Buddy Punch is built for small businesses and answers by chat and email. QuickBooks Time serves small and midsize businesses, by phone and chat.

Neither one?

TCP Humanity

TCP Humanity has the highest LeadChange Score in Time & Attendance Software after excluding these two (8.3/10).

From $2.75/employee/mo (up to 250 employees, billed annually)9

TCP Humanity review

Frequently asked questions

Is QuickBooks Time the same as TSheets?

Yes. TSheets is now called QuickBooks Time, and Intuit sells it as part of QuickBooks. Buddy Punch is an independent time clock from Appleton, Wisconsin, founded in 2013.

Is Buddy Punch cheaper than QuickBooks Time for 10 employees?

Buddy Punch. Its Starter plan comes to $68.90 a month for 10 users: the $19 base plus $4.99 each, billed annually. QuickBooks Time Premium comes to $120: $20 plus $10 per user. QuickBooks Time also needs a QuickBooks Online subscription, priced separately.

Do you need QuickBooks to use Buddy Punch or QuickBooks Time?

QuickBooks Time requires a QuickBooks Online account. Buddy Punch does not: it exports hours to QuickBooks Online or Desktop, and also to ADP, Gusto, Paychex, Paylocity and others.

Who is QuickBooks Time a good fit for?

Small and midsize businesses that keep their books and payroll in QuickBooks. Its Elite plan adds project tracking, estimates against actuals and GPS mileage.

Is Buddy Punch or QuickBooks Time more secure?

QuickBooks Time is covered by Intuit’s SOC 2 Type II report, published at company level. We have no stored certification for Buddy Punch, which does not mean it has none; it offers single sign-on and IP address locking on punches.

Who are QuickBooks Time’s biggest competitors?

Among the time clocks we review, we also compare QuickBooks Time with Connecteam, Homebase and ClockShark. Against Buddy Punch, its case is the direct link to QuickBooks; Buddy Punch’s is the lower price and the choice of payroll.

Do Buddy Punch and QuickBooks Time offer a free trial?

Yes, both list a free trial.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    31 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Nov 9, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.5. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested either product hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

Buddy Punch or QuickBooks Time? Your answer in 3 questions

Your team size, what matters most and your role: see which one fits more of your answers, from verified facts and list prices.

LeadChange may earn a fee when you request pricing through our site or follow a sponsored link. Rankings never depend on whether a vendor pays us.We may earn a fee.

Buddy Punch vs QuickBooks Time

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Sources

The 9 pages this page's facts come from. The date beside each is our last check of the facts taken from it (the oldest, when they differ). The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/pricing“Starter Time tracking essentials for small teams and businesses. $4.99/user/mo +$19 base fee per month” “Support via chat & email Get help quickly from our support team.”
  2. Intuit (QuickBooks) quickbooks.intuit.com/time-tracking/pricing“+ $10 per user per month Base fee includes 1 admin” “We’re here to help. Give our friendly support team a call or chat with us online.”
  3. Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/integrations“Connect Buddy Punch to your existing payroll provider, use our API to manage and edit your data at scale, or set up single sign-on.”
  4. Intuit assurance.intuit.com“Badges ISO 27001:2022 SOC 1 Type I SOC 2 Type II PCI:DSS”
  5. Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/about-us“Buddy Punch builds easy to use and affordable workforce management software that helps small businesses track time, manage schedules, and run payroll without the headaches.” “2013 Established/Founded OR 10+ Years in Operation”
  6. Intuit (QuickBooks) QuickBooks Time (Intuit)“Time tracking software built for your business” “Mobile apps: The QuickBooks Time mobile companion apps work with iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets.”
  7. Buddy Punch buddypunch.com/features“We also have apps for iOS and Android phones/tablets and a ChromeOS app for Chromebooks.”
  8. U.S. SEC (Intuit Inc. Form 10-K) sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/896878/000089687826000037/intu-20260731.htm“Intuit Inc. was incorporated in California in March 1984. We reincorporated in Delaware and completed our initial public offering in March 1993.” “Our principal executive offices are located at 2700 Coast Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043”
  9. TCP Software tcpsoftware.com/pricing“$2.75 per employee/mo billed annually”

What the LeadChange Score means

A 0–10 editorial assessment built only from verified facts, across six weighted dimensions: capabilities, pricing, integrations, security, fit and support, and data confidence.

Payments, commissions and lead fees are never inputs.